Berlin 2026: The buzz titles from Hong Kong and China

Festival 

Light Pillar

Dir. Xu Zao
Blending animation with live-action footage, director Xu’s Light Pillar has its world premiere in Perspectives. Set in a snowy near future, it follows the lonely janitor of a forgotten film studio who, accompanied by only a former cat actor, finds solace in the virtual world and embarks on a romantic journey with a female player until the illusion shatters. The executive producer is actor-­filmmaker Da Peng (The Lychee Road) and Lu Xiaowei of Shanghai-­based Fengduan Film produces. It marks the feature debut of Xu, whose 45-minute animation No Changes Have Taken In Our Life premiered at Rotterdam in 2023 and won top awards at DOK Leipzig and Image Forum Festival.
Contact: Cercamon 

Panda

Dir. Zhang Xinyang
Premiering in Forum, this black-and-white feature debut follows four very different individuals, all haunted by memories as they drift along Nanjing’s wintry riverbanks and turn their talk into dream-like poetic thoughts and therapeutic karaoke sessions. Director Zhang is also a screenwriter, cinematographer and poet whose 2018 short film My Poem won a prize at Beijing International Short Film Festival. He studied at Vancouver Film School’s Shanghai campus after receiving a scholarship from Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke’s Future Talent Programme in 2019. The Singapore-­Hong Kong collaboration is produced by Guo Xiaodong of Levo Films whose credits include Republic, which played in 2024’s Forum.
Contact: Levo Films

Shanghai Daughter

Dir. Agnis Shen Zhongmin
Shanghai-born Shen’s feature debut plays in Panorama, and is rooted in her personal experiences and family history. Like her, the protagonist is a Shanghai woman who travels to Xishuangbanna on China’s southwest border, where her late father was sent during the Cultural Revolution half a century ago. While at a rubber tree plantation, she attempts to find people who once knew him and comes across a mysterious woman and various strangers. Liang Cuishan heads the cast. Director Shen worked as a short story writer and newspaper editor before crossing into contemporary art and film. Producers are Xu Ruijing and Liao Yong.
Contact: Parallax Films

Market

Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector

Dir. Lin Huida
The family-friendly Boonie Bears animated film franchise has become synonymous with Chinese New Year, having played during the festive season for 12 consecutive years. Scheduled to open in mainland China on February 17 — the first day of the Chinese New Year holiday — the 12th instalment is set in a mysterious city where people possess superhuman powers, while the two iconic bears transform — one with two horns on its head and the other with glowing golden patterns across its body. The Boonie Bears franchise is one of China’s most recognisable IPs, from television and film to theme parks, water parks and shopping malls.
Contact: Fantawild International

Now I Met Her

Dir. Xiao Luxi
In her feature film debut, which premiered recently in Rotterdam’s Big Screen Competition, director Xiao pays tribute to the brave and resilient women of her mother’s generation. The story follows an 18-year-old boy who never knew his late parent until he comes across a diary that reveals her extraordinary and complicated life across changing eras. The cast is led by Sandra Ma, Bai Ke and Justin Huang. It is produced by acclaimed filmmaker Ning Hao of Shanghai Dirty Monkeys Culture & Media. Dalian-born Xiao studied in the US for nine years and graduated from Boston University with a degree in film and tele­vision production.
Contact: Parallax Films 

Unexpected Family

Dir. Li Taiyan
Fate and cheap rent bind a broke man — mistaken as the long-lost son of an elderly landlord fast losing his memory — with an unlikely group of misfits. While living under the same roof, his life is turned into a whirlwind of laughter, chaos and warmth. The comedy drama stars Jackie Chan, Peng Yuchang and Zhang Jianing. Among the backers are Wuhan Legendary People Film & Television Art, China Film Group and Xiao Xiang Pictures. Since opening on January 1 in mainland China, Unexpected Family has been rolling out across Asia, Australia and New Zealand and will open in North America this month.
Contact: Golden Network Asia

• The lowdown on the Berlin Film Festival 2026 titles